New American Standard Bible 1995

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Joshua

2

:

1

Then Joshua the son of Nun sent two men as spies secretly from Shittim, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." So they went and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lodged there.

Lexicon

Verse part Definition: Part of speech: Strong's: Hebrew: Transliteration:
Then Joshua "the LORD is salvation," Moses' successor, also the name of a number of Isr. Noun H3091 יְהֹושֻׁ֣עַ־ ye·ho·v·shu·a'-
Analysis:

 

the son son Noun H1121 בִּן־ bin-
of Nun father of Joshua Noun H5126 נ֠וּן nun
sent to send Verb H7971 וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח vai·yish·lach
two two (a card. number) Noun H8147 שְׁנַֽיִם־ she·na·yim-
Analysis:

Two: Two divergent opinions

The classic example for the number "two" is found in Matthew chapter 26. There, Yeshua says to His disciples,

"You know that after two days comes the Passover, and the Son of Man will be given over for crucifixion."  Matthew 26:2

The phrase "after two days" is somewhat meaningless because after two days can mean three or more days. The period is unspecified. The reason for such ambiguous language is because the purpose of the number two in this passage is not solely numerical. This means that the text is not intending to provide the reader with some definite information concerning a time period. Rather, the purpose of the number two in this context is one of the numerological meanings of the number two.  Often the number two relates to two divergent opinions. In the aforementioned verse, the author wants to inform the reader that there are two very different understandings for this coming Passover. Yeshua wants to emphasize that He is going up to Jerusalem in order to die as the true Passover sacrifice. Even though Yeshua states this emphatically, the disciples did not receive this. In fact, the disciples did not perceive at all what was going to take place during Passover in regard to Yeshua. In other words, Yeshua and the disciples have two divergent opinions concerning the Passover.

This same principle is also found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Covenant). In the book of Amos one reads,

"Can two walk together without them having agreed" Amos 3:3

The word which was translated into English with the phrase "them having agreed" is נועדו. The root of this word is יעד, which relates to a specific destination. The word which precedes this word is בלתי and in this context the word implies a change to the condition. In other words, had there not been a change in the condition, then the two could not walk together, i.e. they could not have arrived at the common destination.

The concept of divergent or different is also seen in the book of Genesis. In speaking about the sun and moon one reads, "And God made two great lights…" (Genesis 1:16). Obviously the sun and moon are very different, as one is a source of light, while the latter just reflects light. Also in the book of Genesis, one encounters the account of the flood. Here Noah is commanded to bring onto the ark two sorts of each type of animal. In this passage, the two relates to two different (or divergent) kinds of the same sort, i.e. male and female. 

Likewise, two angels came to Sodom, demonstrating that the people of Sodom had a very different way of living from that of the Law of God. Once again, the reader should not assume that every occurrence of the number two in the Bible demands this interpretation. However, one will find in a great majority of Biblical passages, the reader will be assisted in arriving at the proper interpretation, when he considers this divergent quality for the number two. 

Loveisrael.org - Baruch Korman, Ph.D. - All Rights Reserved - Used with Permission 2016 

men man Noun H376 אֲנָשִׁ֤ים a·na·shim
as spies to go about on foot Verb H7270 מְרַגְּלִים֙ me·rag·ge·lim
secretly silently, secretly Noun H2791 חֶ֣רֶשׁ che·resh
from Shittim, a place E. of the Jordan, also a wadi perhaps W. of Jer. Noun H7851 הַשִּׁטִּ֞ים ha·shit·tim
saying, to utter, say Verb H559 לֵאמֹ֔ר le·mor,
"Go, to go, come, walk Verb H1980 לְכ֛וּ le·chu
view to see Verb H7200 רְא֥וּ re·'u
the land, earth, land Noun H776 הָאָ֖רֶץ ha·'a·retz
especially untranslatable mark of the accusative case. Accusative H853 אֶת־ et-
Jericho." a city in the Jordan Valley captured by Joshua Noun H3405 יְרִיחֹ֑ו ye·ri·chov;
Analysis:
Read more about: Jericho
So they went to go, come, walk Verb H1980 וַיֵּ֨לְכ֜וּ vai·ye·le·chu
Analysis:
Read more about: So
and came to come in, come, go in, go Verb H935 וַ֠יָּבֹאוּ vai·ya·vo·'u
into the house a house Noun H1004 בֵּית־ beit-
of a harlot woman, wife, female Noun H802 אִשָּׁ֥ה i·shah
whose name a name Noun H8034 וּשְׁמָ֥הּ u·she·mah
was Rahab, a harlot in Jericho Noun H7343 רָחָ֖ב ra·chav
Analysis:
Read more about: Rahab, Rahab
and lodged to lie down Verb H7901 וַיִּשְׁכְּבוּ־ vai·yish·ke·vu-
there. there, thither Adverb H8033 שָֽׁמָּה׃ sham·mah.

Locations

Jericho

JERICHOjer'-i-ko (the word occurs in two forms. In the Pentateuch, in 2 Kings 25:5 and in Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles it is written yerecho; yericho, elsewhere): In 1 Kings 16:34 the final Hebrew letter is he (h), instead of waw (w). The termination waw (w) thought to preserve the peculiarities of the old Canaanite. dialect. In the Septuagint we have the inde... View Details

Rahab (On)

RAHABra'-hab:(1) (rachabh, "broad"; in Josephus, Ant, V, i, 2, 7, Rhachab; Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25, Rhaab): A zonah, that is either a "harlot," or, according to some, an "innkeeper" in Jericho; the Septuagint porne, "harlot"). The two spies sent by Joshua from Shittim came into her house and lodged there (Joshua 2:1). She refused to betray them to the k... View Details

People

Rahab

|storm,| a sea monster

Rahab

|storm,| a name for Eg.

Parallel Verses

Removed text
Added text
New American Standard Bible 1995 Then Joshua the son of Nun sent two men as spies secretly from Shittim, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." So they went and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lodged there.
King James Bible Then And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men as spies secretly from Shittim, to spy secretly, saying, "Go, Go view the land, especially Jericho." So even Jericho. And they went went, and came into the house of a harlot whose name was an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.
Hebrew Greek English Then Joshua the son of Nun sent two men as spies secretly from Shittim, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." So they went and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lodged there.